A jumper block may be used in an electronic device to affect settings or selections for the electronic device. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary jumper block 102, which includes pairs 106, 108, 110, and 112 of conductive pins disposed on a substrate 104. The pins are electrically connected to the electronic device (not shown). Shorting one or more pin pairs 106, 108, 110, and/or 112 affects a particular setting for the electronic device. A jumper is typically used to electrically short a pair of pins. An exemplary jumper 114 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 2, a jumper 114 may comprise a housing 202 (typically nonconductive) with holes 204 that correspond to a pair of pins on the jumper block. The holes 204 are conductive and electrically connected within the housing 202. When jumper 114 is slid onto a pin pair (e.g., onto pin pair 112 as shown in FIG. 1), the jumper 114 shorts the pin pair (e.g., 112).
Jumper blocks are commonly used on electronic devices, such as computer mother boards. For example, a jumper block may be used on a computer motherboard to set which of two disk drive interfaces is to be master and which is to be slave. As another example, a jumper block may also be used to set input/output addresses, interrupts, and other settings on a motherboard. The foregoing are only a few examples of the use of jumper blocks to affect settings or selections on an electronic device. There are often multiple jumpers on a single jumper block that enable different settings.
Jumper blocks, however, are not always easy to use. For example, it may not be clear which pin pairs correspond to which settings or selections. For example, the orientation of the jumper block may not be clear. Incorrect settings may damage the electronic device. Moreover, the pins are often small and may break easily.